More than 320 participants put foot in front of foot and climbed either 40, 80, 120 or 160 flights, many having gathered pledges for each step. The money raised through both pledges and entry fees goes to the American Lung Association's education, research, and advocacy work, said Brian Mayo, director of development for the association.

Sunday's climb attracted elite athletes, groups made up of co-workers, friends and family members, emergency first responders and babies getting free rides in front packs.

Rickey Gates, 31, cleared the top flight first. The lanky trail runner from San Francisco came to Portland just for Sunday's climb. He did all four heats, switching from one stairwell to the other and back, completing 160 flights. His official time: 18:02. He's in training, he said, for the Empire State Building Run Up next month. The invitation only-event involves 86 flights. Gates, a writer for Trail Runner magazine, appeared less than spent after the 160th flight, taking only a few minutes to settle his heart rate and catch his breath.

Today's climb, he said, was "one last warm-up," before New York.

Avery, the second-grader from Christ the King Catholic School in Milwaukie, finished her 40 flights without a look back.

"It was a little easier than I thought," she said at the top, standing with her aunt, Christe Smith of Portland, who despite being an avid stair climber took the elevator to see her niece finish. Recent surgery sidelined Smith for this event, but she cheered on both Avery and Avery's mom, Julie Leffler, who also competed for the first time.

View full sizeAvery Leffler, 7, and George Burnham, 70, represent the age spread at Sunday's Fight For Air Climb at the U.S. Bancorp Tower. Christe Smith

One by one, sculpted and not-so-sculpted bodies emerged on the 40th floor, some collapsing, some high-fiving teammates, and others heading directly to the elevator to go down and do it again.

Melissa Federspiel, 35, of Portland carried her 6-month-old daughter Laurel, who snoozed in her front pack throughout the entire climb.

Tim Nieto of Portland also brought his baby, but 4-month old Annika Nieto-Stardig watched her "workout" with eyes wide open as her father finished 40 flights.

A group from Kaiser Permanente's Rockwood Medical Office donned super hero capes and loud socks before ascending to the top. Head super hero Dr. Lucy Douglass, said the group, the Rockwood Steppers, has been training on treadmills, stair climbers and trekking up real stairs for six weeks. She says the effort has reignited her workout juices and amps up the conversation with her patients about the importance of exercise.

"We ask every adult patient how much they exercise every week," she says. "It's truly a vital sign."

Kaiser got on board with the stair climb as a way of motivating people to get moving -- despite the winter-like conditions, says Sue Hennessy.

"January is a month that is marked by rainy and cold weather, relegating many Portlanders to the indoors," says Hennessy, vice president of strategic planning and health plan services for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan of the Northwest. "The sedentary activities of winter have a negative effect on health and wellness. Our vertical foot race challenge is aimed at creating a healthy indoor event dedicated to exercise and healthy living, all while raising funds for the important work of the American Lung Association."

As of Sunday afternoon, the stair climb raised $45,671 for the American Lung Association -- money that will stay within the association's seven-state Mountain Pacific region, Mayo said.